Since Eruch had stopped driving after the 1956 accident in Udtara, a full-time driver had been hired. Since 1959, a driver named Shaikh had been employed at Meherazad, but in 1966 Shaikh retired and moved back to his family and home in Poona. Another driver named Yusuf was hired. Yusuf became devoted to Baba and actively participated in "dressing-up" Meherazad. Using the car battery (there was no electricity at Meherazad at this time), he rigged up lights around Baba's picture in mandali hall. A loudspeaker was brought from the village so that in the morning after everyone had called out "Avatar Meher Baba ki jai!" at the stroke of five o'clock, phonograph records were played over the loudspeaker. While Baba was at breakfast, he was regaled with songs from his favorite singer, Begum Akhtar.
Baba remarked that the pain in his neck was "20 percent better" by then, and the pain in his hip joint was also not bothering him as much. Although he was still walking very little, he began doing so with more ease. But due to the neck pain, instead of each of the men mandali receiving an embrace from Baba on his birthday, each received a kiss on the cheek from him.
Besides the birthday message dictated in December, Baba also sent the following messages that year. For the Divya Vani periodical in Hyderabad:
“”Shun those [false] masters who are like multi-colored electric signs that flash on and off, brightening the dark sky of your world for a moment and leaving you in darkness again.
For the Guide periodical in Raipur:
“”All that frightens and confuses you and grips you with despair is your own shadow. When the Sun of Love manifests in its glory and all faces are turned toward that Radiance, all shadows will have disappeared — even the memory of them will have vanished!
For a special booklet printed in Tirupathi:
“”A post to stand erect and firm must have its butt-end sunk well into the ground. Likewise, my lover needs to have the base of his faith deeply embedded in my divinity if he would remain steadfast in his love.
Naosherwan Nalavala had to change the name of his periodical the Spark, because the government informed him that there was already one by that name. From many titles, Baba selected the Glow, and for its debut issue in February 1966, he sent this message:
